Chawla questions lowering of age for consensual sex

Former Punjab minister and senior BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla has questioned the proposed move of the union government of lowering the age for consensual sex to 16 years from 18 years.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Chawla said the proposal sounded rather strange in a country where the age for marriage is 18 years. Under the law, a case can be registered against a girl's parents if they marry her off before she attains the age of 18 years, but no case can be registered if parents take exception to their daughter 'having physical relations' with consent, the statement said.

"If the government can allow sex at the age of 16, then under what law can it register a case against parents who marry their daughters off before the age of 18," she sought to question government.

Chawla said lowering the consent age for sex will only lead to an increase in 'physical relationship' and that too at a very young age. Such a proposal is not in the interests of society and the government must review it, she said.